What is the frequency distribution of the number of bidders based on past auctions?

• A. The number of bidders has ranged from one to ten in past auctions.
• B. In most auctions, exactly five bidders participate.
• C. There were always exactly four bidders.
• D. The number of bidders has ranged from two to eight in 56 previous auctions.

Answer: (D)

Understanding frequency distributions means describing how often different outcomes occur, using summary details like the observed range and the amount of data collected. In this context, the best description is the statement that the number of bidders has ranged from two to eight in 56 previous auctions. This gives both the spread of bidder counts (minimum 2, maximum 8) and the sample size (56 auctions), which are the essential pieces to know from a frequency distribution.

Other options imply less realistic or less informative pictures: saying the range is one to ten without mentioning how many auctions were observed doesn’t tell you how often each count happened; claiming that most auctions have exactly five bidders asserts a central tendency without supporting detail; and stating there were always exactly four bidders contradicts the observed variability implied by a range. Therefore, the statement with the two-to-eight range and the 56 auctions best captures the frequency distribution based on past data.